Austin Restaurant Reviews: Spicy Sichuan at Fat Dragon, Classic Mexican at Fonda San Miguel | Eater Austin

"Visiting the 45-year-old interior Mexican restaurant Fonda San Miguel, I found that it was still "graceful." Calling its setting "transformative," I praised the tender cochinita pibil with "succulent smokiness," though my favorite remains the profoundly murky mole poblano I first tried in the early aughts; the sauce’s nutty cocoa alchemy still had me reaching for extra handmade tortillas to sop up every last drop. I noted that chef Caesar Ortiz returns to Mexico often, hosts visiting chefs, and introduces regional recipes, like a Yucatecan relleno negro in an "inky" sauce, to keep the menu fresh. I also sampled the restaurant’s "lavish" brunch and found the dessert table alone makes it worth the trip. Overall, I found the restaurant to be ahead of its time—mature, graceful, and never one to disappoint." - Erin Russell